There are known systems that use a programmed digital computer to place data items on a surface or within a volume having known physical dimensions, such as in locating place names on a map. Such systems use a method whereby a first item is chosen as a reference and the other items are moved relative to the fixed reference item to a position where they do not collide with it. This sequential method is then repeated for each item until a satisfactory solution is obtained. However, this solution may not be optimal in avoiding local congestions, and the amount of time and number of processing steps required for a solution is extremely large. Furthermore, in fields such as computerized cartography, the solutions obtained are not often satisfactory and are more often intermediate, leaving much manual work to the cartographer.
Accordingly, a need exists for an automatic data placement system which can place data items on a surface of known physical dimension constraints without interference, collision, overlap or other visually undesirable relationship among the items and with minimum computer processing time. Furthermore, a need exists for a nonsequential data placement system capable of producing an output which requires little or no post-solution manual activity.